At The Kiss Of Midnight

Original | Chapter Eight

"You're the one that I kissed?"

"Yeah, well, you weren't the best kisser either, Banner." She rolls her eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that," I groan.

"You kissed a popstar worth twenty-million." She smirks. "Way to be enthused."

"I think I'm more in shock at the moment," I mutter.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you leave in such a rush?"

I sigh, contemplating how I can answer her question, then I hear Kelsie shout my name from the other side of the doors. "What, Kelsie?"

"I think you two are stuck in the elevator!"

"Really? I didn't notice."

"No need to be rude and sarcastic, Banner."

"Kelsie, just search for somebody that can get us out of here."

"You're stuck in an elevator with Demi Lovato and you want to escape? What is wrong with you?"

Beside me, Demi snickers, and I roll my eyes. "Just find somebody that can help us!"

I can just barely hear her footsteps leaving, and, with a groan, I lean against the wall of the elevator.

"I love that girl."

I flicker my gaze to the grinning singer. "I dare you to tell her that."

She snorts. "She'd probably go into fangirl-induced cardiac arrest or something."

I chuckle, but my laughter fades as she jumps and curses the thunder. "You know that I'm not going to hurt you, right?" Her eyebrows furrow as she stares at me quizzically. "The thunder - you're scared of it."

"So?" She curses again as another clap of thunder booms. Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she briefly looks at me before dropping her gaze and hesitantly approaching me. "Thanks, Banner," she whispers as I wrap my arms around her slightly trembling frame.

"Anytime, gorgeous," I surprise myself by whispering back, and then I further surprise myself by kissing the crown of her head.

Fuck, why did I say that? Why did I do that? Aside from Kelsie acting like a walking Wikipedia page, I know nothing about her, and I sure as hell shouldn't be comforting her like this.

I reason to myself that she is scared; therefore, comforting her can't hurt. Plus, I'll never see her again, so what's the harm?

What's the harm?

It's her turn to be full of surprises when she presses her body closer again mine, and I swear that my breath catches in my throat.

Kelsie was right. She does smell like vanilla, and vanilla has never seemed so intoxicating.

"Why don't you tell me more about yourself?" I suggest, wanting to break the silence.

She chuckles. "I'm sure that Kelsie has told you everything. If she hasn't, there's always Google, y'know."

I smile. "I don't want to know about pop-sensation Demi Lovato. I want to know about Demi who was raised in Texas."

She looks up at me with smirk and an arched eyebrow. "I never told you that."

"Okay, so, maybe I do listen to Kelsie sometimes..." I trail off, and she laughs.

"What do you want to know?"

I shrug. "Whatever you're willing to tell me."

She looks down and toys with her fingers. "It's difficult."